Taras Petrynenko became a "National Legend": what is the unpleasant story behind the unofficial anthem "Ukraine" and why the singer lived in Russia

On the occasion of the 32nd anniversary of Ukraine's declaration of independence, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy awarded 70-year-old singer Taras Petrynenko the National Legend award. It was his song "Ukraine" that became the country's unofficial anthem.

The Head of State noted that the award is a gratitude to citizens for their selfless work. OBOZREVATEL decided to recall some interesting facts about the life of the legendary artist and the unpleasant story associated with the song "Ukraine" (to see photos and videos, scroll to the bottom of the page).

He began his musical career in 1969 and quickly gained popularity. At that time, Taras Petrynenko performed in ensembles and experimented with different styles. Later, his musical career had to be interrupted for a short time due to his service in the army.

After returning to civilian life, the musician briefly led the famous Mriya ensemble. However, when he was banned from performing his own songs, which, by the way, later gained recognition, the artist moved to Russia with the band "Magic Guitars".

From 1982, Petrynenko worked in the Tula-based Red Poppies ensemble, which consisted only of Ukrainians, and wrote hits in Russian. Five years later, he returned to build his career in Ukraine.

Soon after, the song "Ukraine" appeared in his repertoire, which premiered on Channel One of Ukrainian Radio in the morning programme. There is an unpleasant story associated with its premiere.

The fact is that the singer wrote the hit a few years before its release, but was afraid to record it and show it to the world because of its "nationalist content". The fact that the song was played on the radio in Soviet times was risky for everyone involved in the creation and dissemination of "Ukraine".

In a commentary to UNIAN, the artist said that he had been "kept away" from radio and television for many years, but now everything has changed.

"I was simply kept off the air for several decades. The airwaves were separated from me, and I from them... But now, you see, I'm a bit older, and now people are always talking about me: 'let's sing, let's have concerts'. I do, but where were you when I was more active? It's a bit of a shame. But it's okay, we're moving on," the singer said.

Earlier, OBOZREVATEL wrote about what the fourth wife of Russian musician Andrei Makarevich looks like and how she supported Ukraine. Read more about Einat Klein in our article.

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